Private Health Insurance
A private health insurance plan is the key to extending your personal medical coverage beyond the basic coverage of Canada’s Medicare system. As most people know, If you rely completely on provincial health insurance, you will discover how very quickly medical bills can pile up when you least expect it.
The provincial health care program is designed to offer residents access to basic medical services – no more, no less. There are many essential areas of health coverage that, for the most part, do not make the cut, including:
- Prescribed medications
- Routine dental care
- Corrective vision care
- Physical and psychological therapies
- Emergency medical services when travelling abroad
Fortunately, private health insurance plans can be purchased through a number of health benefits providers. Each plan offers an “extension” of medical services to complement your existing provincial or territorial government plan.
You can really benefit from a private health insurance plan if you:
- are self-employed
- work on contract or freelance
- have little or no group health benefits at work
- are losing your group health benefits at retirement